Introduction to the Case
By Laraba MUREY with Agency
These are not the best of times for Mike Ozekhome, SAN, as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has filed criminal charges against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of receiving property through corrupt means and using forged documents.
Background of the Charges
The charges, filed on January 16 by Ngozi Onwuka of the ICPC’s High Profile Prosecution Department, follow a damning September 2025 judgment by a London property tribunal that linked the 68-year-old lawyer to “fraud and forged” documents in a dispute over a North London house. Court documents show that Ozekhome faces three criminal counts, Premium Times reports.
Details of the Charges
The first count alleges that sometime in August 2021, he directly received House 79 Randall Avenue, London, purportedly given to him by one Shani Tali in a transaction the ICPC says constitutes a felony under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The second count accuses the senior lawyer of “making a false document,” a Nigerian passport bearing number A07535463 in the name of Mr Shani Tali, with the intent to support a claim of ownership of the London property. This charge is filed under the Penal Code of the Federal Capital Territory. In the third count, Mr Ozekhome is accused of “dishonestly” using the allegedly false passport as genuine to support the property ownership claim when he had reason to believe the document was false.
The London Tribunal Judgment
Trouble came calling for the embattled silk when Judge Ewan Paton of the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) delivered a judgment on 11 September 2025 blocking Ozekhome from seizing the house in North London. The tribunal held that the case was built on a network of fraud, impersonation, and forged documents, concluding that the late Jeremiah Useni, former Minister of FCT, was the genuine purchaser of the property in 1993.
Investigation and Findings
In August 2021, Ozekhome applied through the Tribunal to transfer the property at 79 Randall Avenue into his name, claiming it was a gift from a man who presented himself as Tali Shani in appreciation for legal services. However, the application was challenged in September 2022 by Westfields Solicitors, claiming to represent “Ms Tali Shani,” who insisted she was the registered owner of the property since 1993 and had never signed any transfer. The London tribunal uncovered fraudulent Nigerian identity records, including a passport, a National Identification Number, NIN, and a Tax Identification Number, TIN, allegedly generated with the connivance of corrupt officials at the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, the Immigration Service, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
ICPC Investigation and Charges
ICPC investigation was triggered by a petition from Olanrewaju Suraj, head of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA. The petition accused Ozekhome, his son, Osilama, and several collaborators of conspiring with corrupt Nigerian officials to procure fake national identity documents in a bid to fraudulently claim ownership of the North London house. The ICPC summoned individuals named in the UK judgment to appear before the commission for questioning. Ozekhome appeared before the commission on 12 January to give a written statement.
Ozekhome’s Statement
In his statement at the ICPC, Ozekhome said he was aware of the judgment granted by the First Tier Tribunal in the UK. “It was prompted by an objection to my application for the transfer of a property situated at 79 Randall Avenue, London, to me, which was filed by myself and Mr Shani Tali before the H.M. Lands Registry UK. I have seen the judgement now shown to me (albeit an uncertified copy),” he stated. “This fact about my title to the property, how I came about it, and all have been exhaustively written down and explained to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and I have no further explanation to the same, all issues having been under investigation by the Commission for many months now.”
Conclusion
The case against Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is a complex one, involving allegations of corruption, forgery, and dishonesty. The ICPC’s investigation and charges against him are a significant development in the case, and the outcome will be closely watched by the legal community and the public. The Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has confirmed that his office has launched a review of the case, describing the London judgment as a matter that “bears sadly on the integrity of the Nigerian legal profession.”
FAQs
- What are the charges against Mike Ozekhome, SAN?
- He faces three criminal counts, including receiving property through corrupt means and using forged documents.
- What is the basis of the ICPC’s investigation?
- The investigation was triggered by a petition from Olanrewaju Suraj, head of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA.
- What was the outcome of the London tribunal judgment?
- The tribunal held that the case was built on a network of fraud, impersonation, and forged documents, concluding that the late Jeremiah Useni, former Minister of FCT, was the genuine purchaser of the property in 1993.
- What is the role of the Attorney-General of the Federation in the case?
- The AGF has confirmed that his office has launched a review of the case, describing the London judgment as a matter that “bears sadly on the integrity of the Nigerian legal profession.”
Source: theabujainquirer.com
